It is estimated that fifteen percent of women of child-bearing age are substance abusers. Approximately 34 million pregnant women consume alcohol. More than 18 million of those women are cigarette smokers. More than six million pregnant women are currently cigarette smokers. Forty-four percent of pregnant women who use illicit drugs have used marijuana. Of the pregnant women who use illicit drugs, fourteen percent have used cocaine. Thirty-six hospitals across the country, which represented 155,000 pregnancies annually, found that, on an average, eleven percent of pregnant women used heroin, methadone, amphetamines, PCP, marijuana, and cocaine.

The Effects of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs on the Unborn

An estimated one of every ten babies born in America suffers consequences from the mother’s use of illicit drugs. Alcohol is a major cause of birth defects and mental retardation in the United States. The yearly cost to care for those affected is estimated at over $300 million. Research shows that the effects of drug use on infants at birth are milder if the women who were using drugs and/or alcohol, break their addiction during pregnancy.